1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector which is used for, e.g., an eco-friendly car such as a hybrid car and an electric car, in particular, to a connector which may be potentially employed for a connection of a power harness used for transmitting a large amount of power.
2. Description of the Related Art
A power harness is used for connecting between devices such as between a motor and an inverter or between an inverter and a battery in, e.g., a hybrid car or an electric car, which has made significant progress in recent years, for transmitting a large amount of power. The power harness is at one end thereof provided with a connector in a two-block structure composed of, e.g., a male connector portion provided with a male terminal as well as a first terminal housing for housing the male terminal and a female connector portion provided with a female terminal connected to the male terminal as well as a second terminal housing for housing the female terminal (see, e.g., JP-A 2009-070754).
In recent years, all components in such an eco-friendly car have been reduced in weight in order to improve the energy saving performance, and to reduce the size is one of effective means for reducing the weight.
For example, a technique therefor is disclosed in Japanese patent No. 4037199.
Japanese patent No. 4037199 discloses an electrical connection structure for vehicle in which connecting terminals of plural phases of conductive member led from a vehicle driving motor are connected to connecting terminals of plural phases of power line cable led from an inverter for driving the motor, a connecting terminal of each phase of the conductive member overlaps a corresponding connecting terminal of each phase of the power line cable, an insulating member is arranged on a surface opposite to an overlapping surface of the connecting terminals, and the overlapped terminals of each phase are tightened and fixed to the insulating member in an overlapping direction (or a lamination direction) by a single bolt provided at a position to penetrate therethrough.
In other words, Japanese patent No. 4037199 discloses a connection structure in which plural connecting terminals and insulating members compose a laminated structure and the connecting terminals are fixed and electrically connected all together at contact points by tightening a single bolt in an overlapping direction while plural contact points between the connecting terminals as an overlapping surface thereof are sandwiched, and this kind of configuration is more effective than the technique of JP-A 2009-070754 in that downsizing is easy.
Furthermore, Japanese patent No. 4037199 discloses a structure in which the insulation members sandwiching a contact point between the connecting terminals are supported by a separately provided retaining jig to allow gaps between the respective insulating members to be kept, and such a structure is effective in insertability of the connecting terminal.